Government sails troubled waters

As if President Thabo “No Zim Crisis” Mbeki wasn’t enough, the South African government was again left red-faced when its indifference regarding a Chinese arms shipment for Zimbabwe resulted in a public outcry and court action, here and abroad.

The Chinese vessel An Yue Jiang — carrying three million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3 000 mortar rounds and 1 500 rocket-propelled grenades — tried to dock in Durban harbour so that its shipment could be transported across land to Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is caught up in a post-election crisis, with reports emerging of violent military crackdowns on opposition supporters.

“We are not in a position to act unilaterally and interfere in a trade deal between two countries,” government spokesperson Themba Maseko said at the time. He said South Africa could not stop the shipment from getting to its destination as it had to be seen to be “treading very carefully” in its relations with Zimbabwe.

South African trade unions, however, would have nothing of this and bravely declared their members would not unload the vessel’s cargo.

Then, the Durban High Court ordered that the controversial cargo could not be transported across South Africa to Zimbabwe, following an application by Anglican Bishop Rubin Phillip and Patrick Kearney, a former activist and executive of the Diakonia Council of Churches.

The vessel sailed off, only to find that South Africa’s neighbours were not receptive to its deadly cargo either. Since then, the shipment has been sharply criticised by the United Kingdom and the United States, and by Thursday the An Yue Jiang had apparently been recalled to China.

What would an influx of arms have meant in Zimbabwe? Some critics compared these events with those which unfolded ahead of the Rwandan genocide. If such a worst-case scenario had proved true, how “carefully” would the South African government have had to tread to explain its inaction to the world?

FULL SPEED AHEAD	NOT SO FAST
Naledi Pandor The Education Minister this week said her department is considering reopening teacher training colleges, which were closed down in the 1990s. At a time when South Africa is experiencing a shocking lack of qualified teachers, this is welcome news indeed. Quality education is essential to ensure the future of this country.	ATM bombers Despite three arrests in Limpopo this week, the spate of ATM bombings seems to continue unchecked. It’s a miracle that no lives have thus far been lost in these blasts. More drastic police action is needed — and perhaps stricter regulations on the distribution of explosives.

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